Author: Zheng Bochen
Scents of refreshing fragrance wafted from the lake, and the more we walked forward, the more clearly we could see the dark green on the lake. Ah, here we are, Lotus Island!
The first thing that catches your eye is the graceful lotus flowers dotted all over the place. Powder lotus is dripping, ying ying is about to drip; Bai He brings rain and is flawless; In full bloom, tender buds shake yellow; In bud, the demon is ashamed to talk. Coupled with the green cover and the green ball, it is a charming scenery.
I sat down on a big bluestone and thought hard. Many poems about the lotus of the ancients poured in ... Yes, the lotus! How many people have praised you, described you and given you many beautiful names. In addition to lotus, lotus is also known as lotus, hibiscus, lotus flower, water lily, water lily, water lily, Zezhi, water lily, water bloom, Yuhuan and so on. In the Book of Songs, the oldest collection of poems in China, there is a sentence of "there is a bad side to each other, and there is a rich side". Qu Yuan, a patriotic poet, once fantasized about "gathering hibiscus as a dress" in Li Sao. In Wei and Jin Dynasties, Cao Zhi described his ideal Luoshen with the beauty of lotus: "If you are forced to observe it, it will burn like a green wave." Li Bai in the Tang Dynasty once expressed his love with lotus flowers. His "Folding the Lotus and Giving" wrote: "Playing autumn water in the river, I love this red and fresh. The water drops on the lotus leaf, but the rolling is not round. Beautiful women gather in the clouds and want to give away the distant sky. Acacia has no cause to see, and I look forward to the cool breeze. " Bai Juyi described the character of lotus flower, which is neither light nor slow, and can't be laughed at: "A rose with thorns should be lazy to climb, but it is also difficult for a lotus flower to play with mud." In addition, many poets either take it fresh or take it gorgeous, and have written many picturesque sentences. For example, Yang Wanli's "After the Dragon Boat Festival, I want to be a Liusi Township in the Lotus World"; Su Shi's "lotus leeward turns white, lotus cheeks turn red in the rain" and so on. As for using lotus flowers to describe beautiful women, there are not a few. However, there is also an exception, that is, using lotus flowers as a metaphor for men. "The Biography of Yang Zaisi in the Book of Tang Dynasty" contains: Chang Zong is fortunate in his appearance, and when he thinks about it every time, people say that Liu Lang is like a lotus flower, which is not true; As the saying goes, lotus flowers are like six lang ears. Its artful and shameless, and so on, is an example of blasphemy against the lotus, which has been passed down as a joke through the ages. Lu Xun once used this allusion to ridicule a shameless scholar, saying, "It's rare that lotus flowers are like six lang". Except for this special exception, lotus flowers are sung in Chinese classical literature. These songs are not only scattered in many poems or other works, but also dedicated to lotus flowers. Cao Zhi wrote "Fu of Lotus", pushing lotus to the top of the group; Wang Bo of the Tang Dynasty, dissatisfied with many previous works on lotus, specially wrote a poem "Lotus Picking Fu", which was actually not good. However, Zhou Dunyi's "Love Lotus" is worth mentioning. This essay is short in words, but it describes the special character of lotus, which is "out of mud but not stained, clear and ripple without demon". Among many works praising lotus, it is not unique, but this excellent work was written by Mr. Zhou Dunyi, the grandfather of Neo-Confucianism in the Song Dynasty, which makes people feel sorry ...
Suddenly, a cool breeze blew, and a faint scent struck. The lotus leaves swayed gently and poured "pearls" into the lake. My association is broken. Looking at the scene in front of me, a strange idea arises spontaneously, and it is mixed with a faint sense of injustice. I boldly imagine: what will happen if these lotus leaves are removed? If only a bare lotus is left, can the scenery be so charming? From the aesthetic point of view, the lotus leaf is an integral part of beauty, and without this part, beauty will be lost. From a biological point of view, without leaves, photosynthesis can't be carried out, and these beautiful lotus flowers can't grow into lotus leaves and lotus roots. Aren't those lotus leaves worth praising? Can they only appear as a foil in ancient poems?
Look, these lotus leaves, dark green, round and thick, have lived in the position of "foil" imposed on them silently for many years, urging the lotus to be red and helping the jade lotus root to be white. In midsummer, they never compete with others, but instead send bursts of fragrance like a round fan. What an unpretentious character this is! They are selfless, and the rain at the beginning of a long drought is like rain from the sky, but this pearl is as precious as water, and they never touch their lips. They always keep the water carefully, which should be left to the fish in the lake! When the wind and rain hit, they closely United and became one, not afraid of the wind and rain, even when they turned over, they selflessly protected the lotus flowers; When the hot sun spits fire, they all hold up the green covers to block the heat and quietly watch the fish play and shrimp swim in the shade. They are open-minded and open-minded, and the sun and the moon can be included in their hearts. Insects never dare to invade their bodies. When people cut off the lotus leaves from the stems, they are inextricably linked to the roots, which is proof that they do not forget the kindness of raising the pond.
Lotus leaf is very beneficial to human beings. As a medicinal material, it can remove heat and clear fire, which is recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica. As a special packaging material, it is not afraid of water immersion and oil pollution. Before the lack of paper and the emergence of plastic, it played a significant role. "Biography of Chen Shu Kong Huan" has such a record: "Still make more wheat and rice, wrapped in lotus leaves." In addition, lotus leaf porridge cooked with lotus leaves is green, fragrant, refreshing and delicious ... It is useful in itself, and it helps to grow lotus roots and lotus roots that are useful to human beings. It is beautiful in itself and creates the beauty of lotus. But what attracts me most is not these, nor the natural beauty of lotus leaves. What attracts me most is the spiritual beauty of lotus leaves. Admittedly, it is not like a lotus, and it has no beautiful name or good name. Lotus leaf, lotus leaf, that's all. When people point, appreciate the lotus and even forget its existence, it never cares about anything; No fame, no profit, no limelight, regardless of status, it always works and fights silently. Yes, it has never been specially praised in ancient poetry and fu, but without it, it is impossible to produce all the famous poems about lotus. Its style not only deeply infected me, but also inspired me a lot. Who created the beautiful scenery in this lake? Who dyed the green hills in the distance? Who built the magnificent pavilions? Who cultivated all the beautiful things on this earth? Friend, can you name them? There are few records in the history books in the past, and there are few praises in ancient poems. Like lotus leaves, they have only two simplest names: people and masses. However, the style of lotus leaf is deeply contained in them. Isn't the style of lotus leaf a symbol of people's great spirit?
I love lotus leaves, pretending to chant them.
(selected from1China Youth Daily on March 3, 979)
Zheng Bochen (939—— 1979) was born in Beijing. He used to be a lecturer in the course of literary theory in Beijing Normal University and has been engaged in teaching for many years. After smashing the Gang of Four, he began to devote himself to writing all kinds of essays. Although his prose failed to reach a mature and exquisite position in art for a while, his sharp thoughts, full enthusiasm and rich knowledge of literary history have attracted readers' attention. "Ode to Lotus Leaves" is especially praised by people. Unexpectedly, just when his talent first appeared, the rapid deterioration of leukemia took his life. I hope that the long-term spread of "Ode to the Lotus Leaf" will enable people to always remember its author.
"Ode to Lotus Leaves" is an essay that eulogizes things and wishes.